Ford is recalling 419,967 Expedition and Lincoln Navigator SUVs because a front seat belt can lock up and fail to protect the person wearing it in a crash. The recall, filed with federal regulators as NHTSA campaign 26V344, covers the 2018 through 2022 model years and expands two earlier repair efforts that never fully fixed the problem.
For the roughly 420,000 owners affected, the repair costs nothing at a Ford or Lincoln dealer, and it will not raise your auto insurance rate. The pressing question is what happens if you keep driving an unrepaired SUV, because Ford has already reported one injury tied to the defect.
Ford recalled 419,967 Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator SUVs from the 2018 to 2022 model years (NHTSA campaign 26V344) over a seat belt pretensioner that can lock the belt so it will not extend or retract. Dealers will inspect and replace the retractors at no cost. Interim owner letters began mailing June 8, 2026, and the full remedy is expected by early September 2026.
What Went Wrong With the Seat Belts
The defect sits in the seat belt pretensioner, the device that tightens the belt in a collision. In affected vehicles, that pretensioner can inadvertently lock the driver or front passenger belt, leaving it unable to extend or retract, according to Ford's filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The root cause traces back to chemistry and heat. The propellant inside the pretensioner's micro gas generator can degrade in high-heat conditions, producing corrosive byproducts that oxidize internal parts over months of use. That corrosion drives up electrical resistance or opens the circuit entirely, which can trigger an unwanted deployment. A belt stuck in the locked position cannot restrain an occupant the way it should, raising the risk of injury in a crash, and Ford says it is aware of one injury so far.
Which Vehicles Are Affected
The recall splits across two nameplates built on the same platform. Ford is recalling 342,283 Expedition SUVs produced between May 15, 2017, and October 25, 2022, plus 77,684 Lincoln Navigator SUVs built through October 26, 2022. Every affected vehicle falls within the 2018 to 2022 model years.
This is not the first attempt to fix these belts. Campaign 26V344 replaces and expands two prior recalls, 24V099 from 2024 and 25V197 from 2025, which is why Consumer Reports described the SUVs as being recalled to fix their seat belts again.
| NHTSA Recall | Filed | What It Covered |
|---|---|---|
| 24V099 | 2024 | First front seat belt pretensioner recall |
| 25V197 | 2025 | Follow-up repair for the same components |
| 26V344 | June 2026 | Replaces and expands both, now 419,967 vehicles |
Source: NHTSA recall database and Ford recall filing 26S34, published June 2026. Vehicle counts reflect the manufacturer's reported production population for the affected build dates.
What the Recall Means for Your Insurance
Start with the money, because owners worry about it first. A recall repair is the manufacturer's legal responsibility, so Ford pays for the parts and labor, and you never file an insurance claim to get it done. That distinction matters, because a repair that never touches your policy cannot raise your premium.
Insurers price your coverage on how a whole model performs, not on whether your individual VIN has an open recall. The Expedition and Navigator carry their loss history through the Highway Loss Data Institute, and one recall notice in your mailbox does not change the rate your carrier quotes at renewal. If a locked belt ever contributes to crash damage, your comprehensive and collision coverage still applies to the vehicle damage regardless of the recall status.
The real exposure shows up if you ignore the free fix and then get hurt. Your own medical and liability coverage would still respond after a crash, and you could pursue a separate product-liability claim against Ford, much like the process for filing against another party's insurer. Skipping a no-cost repair saves you nothing and leaves a known safety defect in place.
Ford has not issued a do-not-drive warning for this recall (26V344). Two separate Ford recalls in 2026 did carry do-not-drive alerts, but the seat belt campaign is not one of them. You can keep driving your Expedition or Navigator while you wait for parts, though you should schedule the repair as soon as it becomes available.
What You Should Do Now
Check Your VIN
Enter your 17-character VIN at NHTSA.gov/recalls to confirm whether campaign 26V344 applies to your specific SUV. The tool updates within days of a filing.
Watch Your Mailbox
Ford mailed interim notification letters between June 8 and June 12, 2026, with remedy letters scheduled between August 31 and September 4, 2026, once replacement retractors are ready.
Book the Free Repair
Call your Ford or Lincoln dealer once the remedy letter arrives and schedule the inspection. Technicians will replace the retractors with a redesigned propellant and stabilizer at no charge.
Report a Malfunction
If your belt has already stuck or deployed, tell the dealer and file a complaint at NHTSA.gov so regulators can track the failure rate on all 419,967 vehicles.
The Bigger Picture
Ford's seat belt notice lands in an unusually heavy year for recalls. NHTSA has logged more than 300 recalls in 2026 from over 100 manufacturers, and Ford alone has issued several, including two that carried do-not-drive warnings.
Large SUV and truck recalls keep stacking up across the industry. Stellantis recently pulled back roughly 1.08 million vehicles in the Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator fire-risk recall, and Tesla recalled 218,868 vehicles in a separate rearview camera recall. The through line for owners is simple: a mailed recall letter is free money in the form of a repair, and roughly 419,967 Ford households now have one waiting.
Campaign 26V344 is the third recall since 2024 aimed at the same seat belt system, and it now sweeps in every Expedition and Navigator built for the 2018 through 2022 model years.
Frequently Asked Questions
Enter your 17-character VIN at NHTSA.gov/recalls and look for campaign 26V344. The recall covers 342,283 Ford Expedition and 77,684 Lincoln Navigator SUVs from the 2018 to 2022 model years.
No. Ford pays for parts and labor because a recall repair is the manufacturer's responsibility. Dealers will inspect and replace the front seat belt retractors at no charge once the remedy is available.
No. A recall repair is not an insurance claim, so it does not touch your policy. Insurers rate a vehicle on the model's overall loss history, not on whether your specific SUV has an open recall.
Yes. Ford did not issue a do-not-drive warning for campaign 26V344. The company has reported one injury tied to the defect, so schedule the free repair as soon as your remedy letter arrives around early September 2026.
- NHTSA - Recall Lookup and Campaign 26V344
- Fox Business - Ford Recalls Nearly 420,000 Expedition and Navigator SUVs
- Consumer Reports - Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator Recalled to Fix Seat Belts Again
- autoevolution - Ford Recalls 419,967 Expedition and Navigator Vehicles for Seat Belt Retractor Issue
- Ford Authority - 420K Ford Expedition, Lincoln Navigator SUVs Recalled Over Seat Belt Issue
- The Cool Down - NHTSA Logged 300 Recalls in 2026, Two Ford Notices Carry Do-Not-Drive Warnings